In many manufacturing applications, thin platelike metal sheets are utilized for forming components, and the forming operation often results in leftover sheet metal pieces which are normally too small for further use and hence disposed of as waste. These waste sheet metal pieces, however, are themselves often times of significant size, and many manufacturers are desirous of being able to utilize this waste, although in most cases are unsuccessful in doing so.
In other situations the product being manufactured may require or desire use of dissimilar materials, such as having a coated or galvanized material in some regions, and a noncoated material in other regions. However, if the design requires that the critical regions be manufactured of one piece, then optimum performance, design or efficiency is generally sacrificed and the piece is formed from a piece of sheet metal having the highest requirements, such as forming the piece entirely of a plated or galvanized material, even though such plating or galvanizing is not required in its entirety.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which is able to improve upon the manufacturing disadvantages summarized above. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved apparatus which can create a mash seam weld between two sheetlike pieces so as to create a larger single sheetlike piece having properties similar to a virgin or nonwelded piece. With this improvement, smaller pieces which are normally disposed of as waste can be mash seam welded (i.e. spliced) together so as to create larger useful sheetlike pieces which can hence be utilized for manufacturing purposes. Alternatively, smaller pieces of dissimilar properties, such as coated and noncoated sheetlike pieces, can be mash seam welded to create a single larger sheetlike piece which can be utilized to form a piece of manufacture having optimum properties, and at the same time permit efficient and cost effective use of materials. As a further alternative, two sheets of different thickness can be splined together by a mash seam weld.
In the apparatus of the present invention, a pair of sheetlike members are supported on a pair of support tables disposed on opposite sides of a movable splicing mechanism. The pair of sheets are advanced inwardly from opposite directions into a splicing position wherein the adjacent edge portions of the sheets overlap, and are suitably secured by side clamp mechanisms. The movable splicing mechanism is then linearly moved along the overlapping edges, and opposed weld rolls rollingly and clampingly engage the overlapping edges therebetween to effect welding thereof. A pair of planishing rolls rollingly and compressingly engage the seam weld and follow along behind the weld rolls to effect flattening of the seam weld, whereby the resulting seam weld hence has a thickness only slightly greater than the thickness of a single sheet. After the splicing mechanism moves along the entire length of the overlapping edges to create a mash seam weld between, a gripper mounted on the mechanism engages opposite sides of the sheet, and the mechanism then returns to its original position and simultaneously discharges the spliced sheet forwardly of the apparatus. The planish and weld rolls may be maintained in a separated condition during this return movement of the splicing mechanism.
Other objects and purposes of the apparatus according to the present invention, including the structural and functional features and advantages associated with this apparatus, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.